One wonderful day Michael got the invitation to join. Becoming a partner in a large prestigious firm was the dream of every young accountant, and Michael was ecstatic. But when he got home and told his wife, she didn't share his enthusiasm.

"Are you sure this is the right direction for our lives?" she asked. "Let's pray about it."

Michael was annoyed. Why was she intent on bursting his bubble? Didn't she appreciate how rare such invitations were? Surely this was God's direction. After all, didn't He promise to give us the desires of our hearts?

Still, Michael agreed to delay making the decision for some time. And then this five-year-old Christian read his Bible with antennae up.

One day he came across 2 Corinthians 6:14-15—the place where Paul warns Christians about yoking themselves unequally with non-believers. Surely that was just meant for marriage. It didn't apply to his potential partnership, did it? Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that that verse applied to his situation too.

A big reason for joining was increased earnings. "But think of how much money I'll have to give to Your work," he reminded God. God showed him Psalm 106:14-15.

On the other hand, he noticed verse after verse that promised good things to those who took God's counsel seriously: Proverbs 16:7, 2 Chronicles 26:5, Psalm 1:1-6, Psalm 119:65, Psalm 37:23, Ephesians 1:3.

Finally at a special gathering of the partners, to which perspective new members and their wives were also invited, Michael and his wife came face to face with a concerning issue. That night, Michael decided to turn down the invitation to join the firm.

He subsequently set up his own accounting firm and tells how difficult and yet splendid those early years were. Though the couple at first struggled financially, Michael had many opportunities to share his faith. He was never sorry that he turned his back on that coveted partnership. Today, retired from accounting he is a leader in his local church.

Which brings me to the probing question: Am I insisting on certain things I want that, if I persist, God will give me, along with spiritual leanness? Or do I listen and walk with God, trusting His love and wisdom in everything through which He takes me?

PRAYER:Dear God, I want to be a person who remembers Your actions in my life and who takes Your counsel, no matter how it goes against popular wisdom. Amen.

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The Bible - one satisfying book!

"That you took a deep breath an hour ago won’t be much appreciated unless you’re still breathing. A great meal a month ago won’t do you much good if you haven’t eaten since. And delighting in God through taking in his word isn’t an annual, monthly, or even weekly event for the healthy Christian, but a daily rhythm." - David Mathis, "Study the Word for More Than Words"